Forestry tool for girdling trees



Oct. 20, 1953 A. F.' 'GmssETT 2,655,763

FORESTRY TOQL FOR GIRDLING TREES vFiled Mgnso, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1Patented Oct. 20, 1953 6 Claims.

This invention "relates to tnew andusefuliim# proveniente infoiestry'tools 'and the primary obe ject'of the present,inventionistoprovide a tool for'cuttingmnd' scraping-aringaround 4a tree" in 'orderto" kill" the tree.

Another important 'object of`ithe present'in'e ventionls to providelatreeggirdling toolincluding a -frame that Willembraoe a vtreel andwhich: comprisesan "adjustable 'blade' 'holden-'whereby '1 the deviceYmay be'emplo'yed ,onrtrees' ofA various diameters' A.further 'object of,the present invention is 1z0-provide.' a'bark stripping, tree killingtool including a vU -sli'apeolv frame having pairs `of Yspaced jmanufacture, and otherwise-well adapted for the`V purposes' forv ywhichthe samevisz-intended.:

Other objects and advantagesfreside irrthefdef tails of constructionrandoperationzas more fully hereinafter :described and claimed,-'reference:be-r ing had to the accompanying drawings forming parthereogiwh'rein likeanumerals refer to f like partstthroughou-t,andin.which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of'.-theepresentwinvention adjusted to cut asmall tree (sho-wn by dotted lines);

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the inventionadjusted tocut a larger tree (shown by dotted lines) Figure 3 is a viewtaken in the direction of arrow numbered 3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional vieW taken substantially on the planeof section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially on the planeof section line 5-5 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the planeof section line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, Wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral I0 represents an arcuate or C-shaped frame thatis T-shaped in crosssection to increase its strength.

One end of the frame I0 is formed with a pair 2 of "spacedapertures-that*receives'shafts-HI-2fand`= I 4 Jcarrying pairsofrotatable lcutter blades-201er discs I 6 yand-I 8? Suitablespacers orwashe'rsfareV positioned onthe shafts to space the cuttersfrontr- #theframe and the ends of the shafts.

0 lwalls. 26 and 28 of the guide 20 are formed With'iv elongated boresor -rectangula-rv'slotsiIlifand c32 that sldably receive 7' ya pain ofr'rails'34 and-e36 forming parto-f a blade holder ori-support 38%@ l One-endofl the support@I-is bifurcatedfsince' ltherails` '3% andf36aremprovidedwith lateral/pme l jections or lears 46 'and -42 that'carryA a 'shaft y44%" on which there ismountedafpair'of'cuttenblades'or discs'46f* Spacersllrmountedonwthe sha-ftA IIIv Ispace the discswdGfrom each other-and addi-'i l space the -discs- 46"' fromrthe 'ears- 40and 421';-

The ears 40- and '42:y 'are joinedrbywa cross-"bar i52',-rigidly^secured tov or -forminfg'an'integral'A partv`- of-the ears.The bar 52-is- `formed with"-oneend-" of an? arcuate scraper arrrr 54having-a--trar1sverseN beveled` free' edge`v 56'-locatedfbetweenftheuiscs--f 46.

An internally-threadedaxial bore VJ.i6 isiformed irr'the4 guide \2 6^andreceivablycengagesJ a *feed* Wornr'or 'screwll'ione end^of whichiisrotatably" secured tothe cross-bar 52,as-at 62.1" Th'a'ot,l1er'f endofythe -screw "60 carriesfa hand --wheel-'f64;-* whereby lthe screw may berotated-#to-move-thea discs 46 toward or -away from the discs I6 and I8. The frame I0 is formed with an aperture 66 accommodating the screw60.

A lug or seat member 68 is fixed by welding or the like to the frame I0and includes a concave seat or recess 'I0 that opposes the arm 54 andwhich will be engaged by the arm 54 when the rails 34, 36 are adjustedtoward the blades I6 and I8 for the cutting and stripping of relativelysmall diameter trees T, as shown in Figure 1.

The end o-f the frame I0 remote from the guide 20 rigidly supports ahand grip 'I2 that is disposed between the pairs of blades I6 and I8.

In practical use of the invention for cutting tree 'II, larger than treeT, the frame I0 is positioned horizontally about the tree 1I and thehand grip 64 rotated to clamp the tree between the blades I6, I8 and 46.Then, the frame is rotated vclockwise (Figures 1 and 2) to permit theblades to cut through the bark of the tree. The scraper 54 will removethe ring cut by the blades.

' 3 After this operation has been completed to cut the tree to a depthsuflicient to kill the tree, the hand wheel 64 is backed up to permitremoval of the frame.

The above procedure is likewise followed for killing trees T of smalldiameter, but the arm 54 will engage the wall of recess 'I0 lto furthersteady the device.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A forestry tool comprising a substantially U-shaped frame, cuttermeans supported on one end of the frame, a guide supported on the otherend of the frame, a support slidably carried by the guide andselectively movable toward and away from the cutter means, a secondcutter means carried by the support, means carried by and movable withthe support and engaging the guide for adjusting the support relative tothe rst named cutter means, each of said cutter means comprising a pairof spaced parallel cutters, and a scraper blade attached to the supportand having a sharp edge extending between the cutters of the secondcutter means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support adjusting meansincludes a screw rotatably mounted on said support, said guide having athreaded opening receivably engaging said screw.

3. A forestry tool comprising a substantially U-shaped' frame, cuttermeans supported on', one end of the frame, a guide supported on theother end of the frame, a support slidably carried by the guide andselectively movable toward and away from the cutter means, a secondcutter means carried by the support, and means carried by and movablewith the support and engaging the guide for adjusting the supportrelative to the rst named cutter means, said invention, what is supportincluding an arcuate scraper arm, and` a retainer carried by the frameincluding a concave seat adapted to receive said arm when the secondcutter means is disposed relatively close to the first named cuttermeans, whereby the tool may be employed on trees of relatively smalldiameters.

4. A device for cutting and scraping a ring around a tree through to thesap line, said device comprising an arcuate frame adapted to embrace atree, pairs of spaced parallel cutter blades rotatably supported on oneend of the frame, a guide fixed to the other end of the frame and havinga pair of spaced parallel bores therein, a support including a pair ofspaced parallel rails slidably received in said bores said support alsoincluding a bifurcated portion joining the rails at one of their ends, ashaft supported by the furcations, a pair of cutter blades mounted onthe shaft, and a feed screw rotatably supported on the support andlocated between and in side by side relationship with said rails, saidguide having an internally threaded opening paralleling said bores andreceivably engaging said screw whereby the support may be manuallyadjusted relative to said first mentioned cutter blades.

5. A device for cutting and scraping a ring around a tree through to thesap line, said device comprising an arcuate frame adapted to embrace atree, pairs of spaced parallel cutter blades rotatably supported on oneend of the frame, a substantially rectangular open guide including apair of end walls and a pair of side walls joining said end walls, saidside walls each having a longitudinal bore therein and said end wallseach having an internally threaded aperture therein paralleling saidbore and being located between said bores, a support including a pair ofspaced parallel rails slidably received in the bores and a bifurcatedportion joining the rails at one of their ends, a shaft rotatablysupported on said bifurcated portion, cutter blades on said shaft, saidguide including an opening in which the end of said frame remote fromsaid rst named blades is fixed, and a feed screw rotatably supported onsaid bifurcated portion and threaded in said apertures.

6. The combination of claim 5 and an arcuate retainer and gage memberfixed to said bifurcated portion, and a rest fixed to the frame having aconcave seat for the gage member.

ANDREW F. GRISSE'I'I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,484,023 Hayter Feb. 19, 1924 1,814,763 Neubauer July 14,1931 2,325,353 Wright July 27, 1943 2,456,882 Mackey Dec. 21, 1948FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,764 Australia of 1929

